


outside the windows of our classroom

by chuunihans (stormilys)



Series: one train ride away [1]
Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: F/M, Friendship/Love, Post-Graduation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-08-28 19:56:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8460943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormilys/pseuds/chuunihans
Summary: It starts: "So which school will you be in?"





	1. ⇄

* * *

It does not surprise Manami that, two hours after graduation, she finds herself standing at the bottom of the stone steps that lead up to class 3-E, brought about by wondering and wandering down memory lane.

Manami climbs up, up towards her second home, wandering the corridors towards the laboratory, fondly running her fingers on wooden walls that whispered of belonging. Manami slides open the door, soft eyes adoring as they survey the cupboards, the tables, the diagrams. Spotless beakers and flasks and cylinders. The rickety floorboards, the wizened walls, the blackboard with leftover scratches of chalk. Manami inhaled deeply, completely at ease, stretching her arms above her head and smiling.

This is how Karma catches her; a hand latches around her waist and his knife at her throat. Manami lowers her hands to look at him, surprised and amused at the same time.

She smiles. "Hi Karma-kun."

"What's this, it's only Okuda-san after all!" he chuckles. "And here I thought someone was trying to break into the building."

Beneath his smile, there's a glimpse of something sad, something that longs, and something she doesn't understand. Karma lets her go, but then grabs her hand, twirling her about like an impromptu dance. He tilts his head to the side, head angled down for her. His eyes are guarded again.

"Though, what exactly are you doing here in the first place?"

"One last look at class 3-E's lab." Manami glanced back at the room with fond eyes. "In high school, the lab would probably be bigger, probably better, but this lab will always be my favorite."

"Really, now?" His eyes sparkled. "So, how about one last business transaction? Some cyanide in exchange for something you want?"

Manami laced her hands together behind her and played along. "And what will you do with that item this time?" Karma pretends to think, tilting his head further, eyes averted and narrowed in mocking thoughtfulness.  _This, too_ , Manami thinks. She'll miss it, too. It dawns on her that without Karma, mischief incarnate Akabane Karma, high school life would be quite boring, and she'd wondered about that often.

High school, compared to their illustrious junior high school life, would be one awfully  _ordinary_  affair.

Karma's hand is on the crown of her bowed head. "I'll miss everyone too," he says with a shrug. "But mostly the fun parts of it."

"Fun for you is usually dangerous for anyone involved." He gasped at this, grasping his chest as he pouted.

"I'm offended!"

Manami giggled, "What about you, Karma-kun? Why are you here?" She squeezed her fingers together as his grin softened to an easy smile. A thought struck her, and she added, teasingly: "Did you follow me?"

His smile was cheeky. "No," but then adds, "but maybe I was wondering what Okuda-san was doing by coming back up here, so, being the good friend I am, I wanted to make sure that you're safe! No need to thank me… though the cyanide would do just fine."

Manami pursed her lips to a smile.

"Alright." Karma looks too entirely pleased, but Manami just pulls him inside the lab anyway. "But I think you're just lonely."

* * *

"So which school will you be in?"

Karma fiddles with a bottle of ammonia, throws it in the air twice before Manami takes it from him, a stern look thrown at him that he merely smirks at. Only then does she process his question, and she raises both eyebrows at him. Karma grins widely, innocently, and Manami debates if she should believe it as she raises the mask over her nose again.

"You're not thinking about following me there too, are you?"

He flicks her forehead. " _Maybe…_ but who knows?"

Manami hadn't really thought about the possibility of seeing and having anyone as classmates again when they graduate.  _But_ , their legs bump, and he raises his hand to her shoulder, picking at an imaginary lint,  _it wouldn't hurt to have a familiar face close by too._

"Well… I'm going to Oku Tokyo." She grins when the boiling slowed, the fumes giving her a rush of pride and odd elation; something Karma notices, and there is fondness in the way he looks at her that she doesn't notice. "Well, I mean, until I receive my entrance exam results from Seikei, Oku Tokyo is my first choice."

He cushioned his chin on a fist. "You should go for Oku Tokyo regardless if you passed Seikei."

"Why is that?" She shut off the burner excitedly, the mask unable to hide how the corner of her eyes crinkled with happiness. "It's done!"

Karma leaned forward to inspect the mixture, putting his hands up when she swatted him away to keep his distance.

"It's nearer, which makes it practical," he shrugged. "You'll need two trains to travel to Seikei every day, coming from here, and that's a  _lot_  of hassle. It's either you commute, or stay in a dormitory. And I hear dorm life isn't  _fun_  at all."

Manami frowns contemplatively. "Well… I already live in an apartment with my parents, so a dormitory doesn't sound like a good idea… but that's not a very convincing reason why I shouldn't go to Seikei."

"Practicality is enough reason to attend Oku Tokyo. It's near, and it's a great school with a great science curriculum. It's  _definitely_  your school, Okuda-san, just saying."

"Is it?" She lowered her mask and beamed. He followed her actions just a second later, and Karma tugged on one braid, so that her eyes returned to him. "Maybe I'd study at Oku Tokyo after all."

"You're gonna be kick-ass in that school, I just know it." And then, Karma laughed devilishly. "If Koyama happens to be there too, you better own him good!"

"Of course!" Her glasses glinted. "Science is  _my_ subject, Karma-kun."

" _Yours_? Like a lover?" he mourned. "Looks like I failed in protecting you, for a suitor managed to get past me after all…"

Manami bites back a laugh, grabbing his hands in hers as she held the bottle.

"Science may be my lover, but Karma-kun is my favorite partner in crime." His fingers closed around the bottle of cyanide, over hers. It's funny how they hold something dangerous in such a way. She isn't sure if it's because of his hair, or the setting sun, but there is a rosy hue to his cheeks. Manami refrains from mentioning it, but she can't help the heat on her face as he looked her in the eye, nonetheless. She holds onto what pieces of courage she had, tightens her fingers around his. "And I'll… I'll miss you, too."

Karma grins widely, cooing, "If you continue saying things like that, I might just follow you after all."

* * *

Karma, she learns the same day, lived the opposite way. This does not stop him from walking her home—at least, towards the train station.

She would say that she minded, since he lived the other way and that there was no reason to accompany her, but it was nice, having his company even as it seemed like the last. The sun has set, and the air is sweet with spring blossoms. The train station is crowded, but manageable, and they easily slip through the crowd so that they were one of the people in front.

"The next train's coming in 20 minutes," she observed, smiling up at him. "Thank you for walking me here, but are you sure it's—"

"Okuda-san," he waved her off, and Manami huffed. "I  _wanted_  to walk you here. No one's bothering anyone, no harm done."

"You're also going to wait here with me until the train arrives, aren't you?"

When he answered her with a wide smile, Manami concedes with an amused sigh as she stood closer to him, mindful of the growing crowd around her that also waited for the next train. A hand brushed against her thigh, a little too close for comfort, and she was pressed to Karma's side before she could even react.

"Watch it," he hissed, his grin too sharp to be friendly, poised to another male student in a different uniform. The student recoiled with a frightened apology as he bolted far away from them. Manami could only look at his retreat with a nervous smile, and raised an eyebrow towards her companion. He held her tightly around the shoulders, eyes following the retreating student and she nudged him on the stomach so he's looking at her again.

"I'm entirely sure that was an accident."

"I'm entirely sure that it wasn't," he scoffed. "Accident or not, no one touches Okuda-san inappropriately."

Manami tries to pretend she doesn't feel flattered, reasons that he is merely looking out for her like he always does. "T-That's sweet."

A minute passes, each second ticked by station chatter and the announcements through the speakers. Manami observes, listens. It's difficult to focus when your heart is beating a little too fast, so Manami tries to fix that, and succeeds to fail in that. It's not uncomfortable, but it's not something she was used to, either. But it was a nice feeling, and Manami liked it. Pressed as close as she was, Manami could smell the fresh, clean scent of his clothes.

"You haven't asked me which school I'm in." He suddenly says. "Wouldn't you want to know?"

Manami perks up. "Well, where are you going?"

So he tells her then that he was staying at Kunugigaoka, that he had loose ends to settle with Asano and that it'll be a much fun ride because in high school, there is no class 3-E to look down on, no strings to pull but academics and credits and extracurricular activities, and that he was looking forward in competing with him in all aspects. If junior high school had been difficult (she remembered those grueling lessons, the humiliation they would endure with every assembly, the less-than stellar grades,  _Korosensei_  and this,  _this_ , is how the ache in her chest deepens), she could only imagine how hard high school would be.

And with its aces in a constant academic war, she hoped Kunugigaoka would do its best.

"You can do it," Manami smiles encouragingly, squeezing his side in a loose hug, and he grinned appreciatively at her. "Karma-kun and Asano-san may be equals, but I've  _always_  believed in Karma-kun."

"You're gonna be great too, you know." He winked. "Wreak entropy for me?"

Train tolling.

Despite herself, Manami laughed, and Karma held her tighter. "T-That was a weak joke!"

Engines whirring. Rail tracks screeching.

"But Okuda-san laughed!"

Manami smiled, closing her eyes. "I guess I did." In less than three minutes, the train would arrive, and Manami focused on its approach. She'd felt him sigh, and then he's ruffling her hair, messing up her braids.

"Karma-kun!" He's laughing again.

"I forgot to tell you that I have another reason." Then train comes whooshing to a stop in front of them, her messy hair agitated and helpless to the sudden movements and almost drowning out the sound of his voice. "Won't you ask me what it is?"

The chatter and noise had escalated to new levels. People pushing, coming in and out of the train. Warnings to stand before the yellow line, periodic. Reminders that the doors are closing in one minute, incessant. The pounding in her chest, baffling.

"What's your other reason?" The noise had her raising her voice just so he could hear her.

Karma presses something in her hand—small and circular. She can't see it yet, but she holds onto it tightly.

"It's one train ride away!" he shouts with a grin, then he's pushing her into the cab just in time before the doors shut close. He stands on the other side of the doors, mischief incarnate with his signature sharp grin and Manami could only stare back, confused. The train moves, gains speed, and Manami sees that he doesn't move until he couldn't see her anymore.

Manami didn't understand his words. In fact, she didn't understand Karma at all today.  _One train ride away...?_

She opened her hand carefully against the sway of the other passengers, feeling less rattled and more breathless, blinking at what she saw.

What was his purpose by giving her this?

* * *

When Manami got home, she checked all of her jackets, counting all buttons twice. All of them were firmly stitched and not one button was missing.

He'd given her a button, but Manami didn't know what to do with it.


	2. →

* * *

_2 am._

_"…Karma-kun?"_

_"Why the hell are you still awake?"_

_"Ah, b-but you're awake too? And… I'm not the one calling at 2 am."_

_"…Touché. I just had this strange urge to check if you were awake or not." The laughter in his voice told her not to believe him. "Have you even gotten any sleep or were you awake all this time?"_

_Nervous laughter._

_"Okuda-san, you should rest. It's spring break, no need for all-nighters!"_

_"Karma-kun should go to sleep and stop calling people at two in the morning, too."_

_"…Fair enough. Sweet dreams!"_

_"You too, Karma-kun."_

* * *

It's spring break.

Today there's a pile of papers, projects, and stuff worth three years of junior high stacked in the middle of her room. Out with the old, in with the new. New curtains were wide open to air the room, accompanied with sunshine, and Manami had just finished dusting the corners of her room. The bed covers, pillows and blankets replaced, her bookshelves sorted, her desk immaculate.

She'd gotten her exam results from Seikei too, and she was qualified; they've even offered her a scholarship for her full marks on science. But then again…

_"It's nearer, which makes it practical," he shrugged. "You'll need two trains to travel to Seikei every day, coming from here, and that's a_ _lot_ _of hassle. It's either you commute, or stay in a dormitory. And I hear dorm life isn't_ _fun_ _at all."_

Manami smiled. Practical, so he says. But there's a reason why Oku Tokyo is her first choice, and anything beyond her first choice is simply a decision she would feel half-hearted for. Would Korosensei stand for students who went through half-hearted decisions? Would she have let  _herself_  live that down? Her heart squeezed.

Aside from touring her newest alma mater, memorizing her classrooms and familiarizing her surroundings, there isn't really much Manami could do.

After that, beyond that, for the first time in her life, Manami found herself  _bored._ Then she'd felt immensely guilty for feeling bored; spurred by her inactivity she did all that she could within the confines of her apartment by cleaning, sorting, organizing, disposing old stuff away. She'd even rearranged her bed and desk, bargained with her neighbor's adolescent son to help her move the bookshelves (he walked away cheering to himself, having been promised a week's supply of pop rocks, the overgrown boy he was) so by the end of the day she'd worked up quite a sweat.

She'd consumed five hours doing all that. It was only 3 pm right now. Manami hauled the bag downstairs, outside, and jumped into the shower for a long bath after. Beyond that, what was next? There wasn't much to do around the apartment, and the only room that always got messy was her room. By the time she was lying down, it was only quarter to 5 pm, Manami was still restless, and the ceiling had no cracks.

This is the moment where her phone starts to ring. This is also the moment where Manami smiles uncontrollably. Rolling towards the edge, Manami peered at the screen and pressed accept.

_"I think I jinxed it. About how fun high school would be? Because Okuda-san wouldn't believe what happened to me today."_

"Believe what?"

Karma's reply is a conspiratorial whisper.  _"I joined clubs today."_

She laughed. "Kunugigaoka heavily encourages joining clubs since way back. The only reason we haven't been able to participate is because we're from class E…"

It's only been little over two weeks ago since Karma had walked her to the station, but they've kept in touch since over phone calls and e-mails, sometimes texts. Kept in touch enough to start a ridiculous game of calling each other up for the most frivolous of things to matters of importance. Manami had no idea why this game started, but it was fun, and took her mind off of other things.

Manami liked it. Very much so.

 _"Whatever. Anyway, between trying to kill that octopus and academic discrimination, clubs were never our thing anyway. Except maybe Sugino's baseball. And your science club._ Ehem _. Ask me how I joined."_

Manami sat up against her headboard, enjoying the breeze from the window.  _Should I go out today?_  "How did Karma-kun end up joining clubs?"  _But where would I go?_

 _"I've had the pleasure of being informed by Asano himself!"_  He scoffs over the line, hissing Asano's name as if it were evil itself. Manami didn't want to, but she tittered at that, and knew that Karma wouldn't mind.  _"I knew it was required, hell, almost mandatory, but I didn't think it was_ that _literal. Oh well, it's a compromise I'm willing to tolerate if it means Asano won't be able to beat me. Though some clubs are as boring as hell they had me in tears."_

"What clubs  _did_  you like?"

_"Well, some personal favorites were track and field, mathematics… Hey you know what, Koyama's still here after all, and he's still in the science club, too bad! Of course, no offense meant, I didn't join science, but I did take debate club and the economics council! Oh, and I also took judo, because Asano's in judo, and we both know what that means."_

"Karma-kun gets to legally wrestle Asano-san?"

 _"Okuda-san really knows me too well. And the best part is I could_ throw _him."_  He laughs. Wherever he was now, it was a tad noisy, with indistinct murmurs of a crowd and something like static announcements. Manami wonders where Karma is today, and sighs at her inactivity.  _"What's up? You sound sad."_

Manami looked out the window, at the bright afternoon sky. The atmosphere was light, she was content, but somehow suffocated. "I'm not sad… Rather, I'm… I'm actually…  _bored_ , today…" she trailed off, embarrassed to admit such a thing. She'd had lazy days, but Manami was never  _bored_. She had plans to create and schemed on how to assassinate the greatest killing teacher with her chemical creations. It'd given her a sense of motivation like no other, and now that was taken away… Manami didn't want to think about it anymore.

High school would feel really mundane, and Manami did not know how to feel about it.

Karma hums, sounding nonplussed,  _"Bored? That's not something I normally hear from you."_

"I know," she sighs.  _I should really go out._  "I cleaned my room today, but it just left me with no other things to do… Everyone else must be busy with their plans too, and here I am with nothing to do…"

 _"You,"_  Something fizzled on his side of the line. Cola? Acid?  _"Must be the first person I know of to be guilty that she has nothing to do. On a_ vacation. _"_

Bristling, Manami almost whines, "I don't like  _inactivity_!"

 _"My, my, Okuda-san, you sound almost petulant!"_ Over the line, he is chuckling and the sound of it makes her chest warm and her cheeks tingly, and, oddly enough, feel a vague prick of something she didn't know. Foreign, but welcome. Uncomfortable, but tolerable.  _What is it? "Tell you what. I'll humor you. Ask me out."_

"Ask you? What do you mean?"

_"Say, 'do you want to go out?'"_

Manami's heart leaped. She'd always been an indoors person, but she was _dying_  with boredom right now.  _Yes, yes!_  "Y-You want to go out with me?" Excitement hushed her voice.

 _"Why,"_ To her utter confusion his voice dropped low, almost a purr. Manami blinked, blushed. What's he doing?  _"If you put it that way, I'd love to go out with you, Okuda-san."_   _Ah._  He was teasing, but the tingle on her cheeks deepened and the confused, surprised noise she let out made him laugh.

Then Manami realized she  _knew_  what  _this_  really was.  _Karma_ … Was Karma  _flirting_  with  _her?_  She suddenly found it very hard to speak, her reply a little softer than before.

"Um... But are you sure? I'm not bothering you, am I?"

_"What are you playing hard to get for? You said you were bored, loud and clear. And I'm just as bored as you!"_

Manami smiled. He saw right through. "That's also true…"

 _"So?"_  Karma clicked this tongue twice.  _"It's a nice day out, will Okuda-san take her favorite person out on a date like she asked?"_

She'd said he was her favorite partner in crime. Manami wanted to hide beneath her covers, never to resurface. With flushed cheeks, Manami cried, "N-Not a date!"

And Karma snickers.  _"Sure, whatever you say. I'm at your station, come meet me now why don't you?"_ Manami jumped off the bed.

"Already? That's quick!" She set the phone to loudspeaker on her desk, hurriedly changing into the first pair of shorts and shirt she saw.

 _"I kinda foresaw this day, see,"_  the voice was hushed; conspiratorial again.  _"I have a sixth sense."_

Manami rebraided her hair, but since she was hurrying, she made a single braid and let it drape over her shoulder. "Oh? That'd be a great skill!"

 _"I know, right!? Sadly, it doesn't really exist, so the correct word would be foresight. Boo-hoo."_  She grabbed her phone, snatched her wallet and keys.  _"I'm hearing some jingling over there. I'm getting hyped, Okuda-san! Hurry here! Ah, but, don't hang up on me, though."_

She's out of the complex in two minutes, enjoying the warm sun and the exercise of her legs. Cleaning was tiring, and he was right. It was a nice day out, and Manami didn't have plans. It would only take her seven minutes to reach the train station, so she hums distractedly, "Where are you?"

 _"Come on, now, with locks like mine?"_  Karma teased.  _"You can spot me from a mile off!"_

"Not inside a crowded station, though."

_"Ooh, Okuda-san's being very sassy today! I like it!"_

"K-Karma-kun!" He laughed.

 _"Fine, I'm in front of the station map by the entrance,"_ his voice softened, and as Manami veered right towards the station, she could see the faintest sheen of red shining against the afternoon sun through the station doors.  _"I think I also missed you, but that's a big maybe."_

Manami fought hard not to stumble. Stuttering was impossible to suppress. "It's—it's only been t-two weeks since we last saw each other…"

 _"Maybe two weeks is two weeks too long."_  She's distracted by his sudden gasp.  _"I see you!"_

All she could hear now was a racket of shuffling and static, and the red sheen Manami glimpsed before became a head of red whose owner was now exiting the station doors. Even from a few ways' off, Manami could easily see the grin on his face, steadily getting bigger as he approached her, phone still held to the ear like she was. When he's close enough, Karma winds an arm around her shoulders and turns his head this way and that way, humming playfully into the phone where they were still connected. There's the refreshing scent of his fabric conditioner again, and the new, subtle, sharp whiff of cologne startled her. Karma wears cologne now?

New as it was… it seemed to suit him just right. Manami tried to file that confusing thought away.  _Why did I think of that? That's weird._

"Hey, Okuda-san? I was mistaken. I don't seem to see you anywhere. Did you get smaller or am I getting taller?"

 _Teasing again!_  "I think your eyes are getting bad. You should get glasses, too, Karma-kun." Retaliation.

"Oh?" Finally, Karma looked down at her, golden eyes sparkling and amused, and Manami can say she's missed him too. It's somehow easy, almost natural, to look up at him from under his arm. "As long as we're matching, I'm game."

"My glasses won't suit you though." Manami purses her lips. "Maybe something with a thicker frame? Black? We should visit the shop where I got my glasses made."

"That is definitely not how I envisioned our 'not date' would go, you know." Manami laughs, and then, Karma drops the call, and she does too. He picks at the end of her braid, tugs, and grins. "Missed me?"

* * *

_2 pm._

_"Hi, Karma-kun."_

_"Okuda-san? What's up?"_

_"Why is the sky blue?"_

_"…Uh?"_

_"Is it because of Rayleigh scattering or refraction and reflection?"_

_"Hey now, are you flirting with me?"_

_"Asking a question is hardly flirting, Karma-kun."_

_"Say what you wanna say but I think you're definitely flirting with me, Okuda-san~ Oh, and yes, it's definitely because of Rayleigh scattering."_

_"I see. Thanks for your help!"_

_"Ah, hey—!"_


	3. ≠

* * *

"It's hotter than usual."

Indeed it was. The air conditioning of the sweets and pastries cafe they trudged into was heaven in itself, and there weren't many customers around. Behind her, Karma is busy regretting he picked style over comfort; he'd been fidgeting with the collar of his red button down and the shirt underneath for a while now, and meanwhile, Manami was comfortable in her shorts and flowy shirt.

At 9 am, the sun was bright up against the cloudless sky. A breeze hardly came by. This is their third outing of the week; classes were going to start soon, and Karma said he wanted to make the most of their vacation.

Manami still doesn't understand why he chose her to spend it with, but that's okay. Her parents had even encouraged it—better to be actually doing something rather than staying at home and doing nothing, they said. So have fun she did.

He collapsed on the chair nearest to the A/C with a whooshing sigh, and Manami smiles wryly. "Why are you overdressed in the first place?"

"I always dress like this," he mocked a sob, messing with his bangs. They were damp, and clumped together. "The weather didn't cooperate with me."

"Maybe you shouldn't be in front of the A/C…"

"I'll be fine," he waved her off. "I've developed some kind of immunity to colds after doing this over and over before, like when I was nine. Mom threw fits every time I got sick after, but results were fruitful after two years. I think."

Manami could see it. Nine year old Karma, flushed and bright-eyed from playing under the sun sitting in front of the electric fan letting his sweat dry, and his mother lecturing him every time he got a cold. And when he gets better, an  _It won't happen again_  would be promised, but he ends up doing it all over again anyway. The scenario amused her, but it does not prevent her from leaning over the table and patting the moisture off of Karma's face with a handkerchief.

"Okuda-san?" He was less surprised and more pleased.

"I don't doubt you," Manami continues, even though her face was heating up itself, and she was a bit too far away to reach him properly. "B-But it would make me feel better if you take better care of yourself."

There is a slow, pleased smile growing on Karma's face. " _This_  is considered flirting."

"Because caring for a friend is always equatable with flirting, yes, I see."

Karma paused. "Hey, you know, you're getting real good with those comebacks. I'm kind of proud." He leaned slightly over, and Manami flinched when her chair suddenly jerked to the side—closer to him. "How much time have you been spending with Nagisa, huh? And when was this?"

"A-A warning would've been nice!" Manami pouted at his smug smirk; not only was she short, she was light, too. Karma had easily dragged her chair from across the table so she was next to him.

"My bad," he says, though he is not one bit sorry. She's also taken aback when Karma leaned into her, smirking. His chin was raised and his eyes were closed as if waiting for something. "Continue."

"What?"

"Please flirt with me some more."

 _Oh_. Manami flushed, and in her flustered realization she shoved the handkerchief against his chest. He wanted her to continue wiping him dry! And so Karma laughed, finally leaning back as he grasped her handkerchief. "P-Please do it yourself!"

"I thought you cared for  _friends_ , Okuda-san?"

" _Ehem_."

Manami started in her seat as she looked up. Karma did the same with lazy indifference, smiling still. In front of their table, a red-cheeked server stood waiting with menus. Had he been there the whole time? Manami wanted to dry up under the sun if that's what it took to make the embarrassment she felt go away, unable to meet the server's eye as she fumbled with her menu. And… what was  _up_  with that smile?

"I forgot earlier, but I wanted to ask if you want to accompany me to where I had my uniforms made." He says this after the server leaves. Manami was busy checking if they had anything with toffee, but she looks up when he speaks though he is not looking at her.

"Uniforms?" Manami blinked. "Okay… But I thought Kunugigaoka commissioned our uniforms themselves…?"

"Yes, well, I hate their stitching." It amused Manami how simply he stated his reason. "And Ninojiya-san's work is real quality. If you want, I can hook you up for yours with the same 50% discount."

Manami smiled. Still so kind. "That's fine, I already have mine being made right now. I think I can pick it up this weekend!"

"Too bad. Maybe next time?"

"Yes, but thank you for the offer." This time, it's Manami who pauses, eyes narrowing in thought. "Though 50% is an awfully big discount…"

Karma grinned. "That usually happens if they're a family friend. Practical, huh?" His eyes were alight with mirth as he closed the menu, leaning back against his chair. Manami felt rather than saw his arm come up to drape along the back of her chair. Soon, he was tugging on the ends of her right braid like usual.

"Is 'practical' your favorite word?" Manami questioned. "You say it so often it's how I can describe Karma-kun these days."

Karma leaned slightly in, "I've always been a  _doing_  person, Okuda-san, and I deliver." She blinked at his close proximity. Far enough to be polite, but near enough to share a secret. He smiles at her. "But, I understand that this one would take a while, and I can be patient."

They share a moment of silence, and it's as if she was back to the old days of language complexities, Manami did not know how to reply. It's just her, Karma, and the unreadable emotion she sees when he found her at the lab those weeks ago. It was there again. She's bothered by the only two questions of  _What would take a while_  and  _What do you have to be patient for_  that nagged her relentlessly.

It does not let up even when the server comes back.

"Are you ready to order?"

* * *

Ninojiya Fabrics is a house ensconced within the quieter recesses of Karma's neighborhood. It made a lovely, traditional contrast to a highly modernized city, and even if they haven't gone inside yet, Manami already adored it.

"Are you even Japanese?" Karma teases; the gall he had even if he was sweating profusely in the 11 am heat amazed Manami, somewhat.

He's twirling her shoulder bag again, and when Manami swats him, he stuck his tongue out at her and moved the bag further out of her reach. Manami slumps back on her feet with a huff. He'd insisted taking it even though it had nothing but her phone, keys and wallet. "Sorry for being fascinated."

"Aww, don't be like that. It's cute." He twirls her bag once, and he stops with a smirk at her sharp look. "I think Ninojiya-san's house is cool, too."

"I think you're just humoring me."

Karma gently ushers her forward through the gate as he says, "And I think you're right." A middle-aged woman saw through their entrance into the house, and soon enough they're padding through the corridors, passing by busy rooms and busy people, some Karma knew by name.

They were in and out, unfortunately. Ninojiya-san was a busy woman and she had four other orders to finish before the week ended. She gave Karma two paper bags that contained his uniforms; four pairs of the winter variant, four pairs for the summer set. Once that was taken care of, they set out again, and Karma began complaining when he realized it was still scorching out.

"You know, this heat is killing me." Manami held his summer set, squinting at the sky. No cloud in sight. She too, was feeling the effects of the heat.  _Maybe going out mid-morning was a bad idea…_  "I don't think I'll last the day in these clothes, Okuda-san." And so the devil admits his defeat to the great enemy that is the sun.

"Maybe you should change into your summer uniform…?"

Karma groaned, "I'd rather wear a badly sewn sweater than wear these earlier than I'd have to. My house isn't that far off now. I'll change over there."

Manami paused. She'd never gone to a friend's house before. Junior high panned plenty of opportunities when her company grew from herself to Kayano— _Yukimura_ , and Kanzaki, and then little by little, Karma and Nagisa. And it did not stop with them; class 3-E was a tightly-knit group, and even with the inscrutable Itona, everyone was friends with everyone, or at the very least, in good terms.

Sure, she went on outings with Yukimura and Kanzaki before, but this was something else entirely. The realization of what all this was made her heart race with emotion.

Karma looked back when he realized she wasn't following. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Karma-kun, tell me," she swallowed. Anticipation and consternation aside, she was also curious. Maybe this would solve one of her questions, because Karma seemed to inspire in her questions she could not understand. A theory in the making with no conclusion in sight. "Am I your…  _best friend_?"

For a few seconds, Karma stared blankly at her and Manami fretted. Maybe she'd been too forward? She hurried to explain herself; the two of them always went out often, like what they're doing now, and they messaged and called each other on a daily basis for the most random things to things that mattered. Throughout until the end of her frazzled explaining, Karma had a small smile on, however, and he shook his head in laughter when she finished.

"I don't like labels like 'best friends' or something of the sort."

"Oh."  _Then what am I to Karma-kun?_

Karma's hand is on her bowed head. "But class 3-E are people something close to dear to me, so it'd make sense to say that you're  _special_  to me, Okuda-san." He mushed her cheeks together when she looked up, much to her chagrin, and he grinned widely at her. "Definitely better than something as trivial as a 'best friend', right?"

Hearing those words made her smile. She is special to him, because all of class 3-E is dear to him. Manami couldn't have asked for more, and it showed through her smile; Karma is ruffling her hair, and though he is fond of ruining her hair he is still, also, dear to her, too! "I guess so."

"Now," Karma cringed. "Let's get me changed."

* * *

His house is huge and all sharp angles, with wide glass windows and neutral tones. Trimmed hedges, a trim lawn and sleek surfaces; it was a polished looking house for polished people, finessed with an air of affluence. Inside it, there is the subtle tang of spice that seemed to waft in every room, and the overpowering portion of cold silence in the absence of activity.

Karma is the shock of color that brought warmth when he returns, comfortable and at home in a striped shirt. The A/C brought to her the scent of rosemary and fabric conditioner as he comes by her.

"The only time I appreciate an empty house because it's cold and no one's around to be bothersome." His collapse next to her was heavy and tired, and Karma sagged against the back rest with a sigh.

"Do you always come home to this?" Manami dared ask, eyes riveted and observing the decorations of his home.

Karma shrugged. "Pretty much. My folks travel often, and from their most recent post card, they're in Prague. Or were, at least."

"When was the last time they were home?"

"Graduation day, and the day after that." It bothered Manami more than it should have knowing this was the kind of home life he had. Her parents are almost always out for the rest of week as well, but they always made it home no matter how late it was.  _So this is why we're almost always out._ He must have noticed her expression because he leaned over and mushed her cheeks together (again!), much to her dismay. He was laughing at her attempts to scowl. "What's that face for? No frowning allowed in here, Okuda-san!"

"But—"

"Shush." Karma cradled her jaw and shrugged, his smile wan but grateful. He leaned further forward, letting his hands fall and buried his face against her shoulder, almost timidly. The smell of rosemary and clean laundry is stronger, and his hair is soft against her jaw. "But I appreciate your concern… it means a lot. Only Nagisa knew before."

Delicately, Manami patted his head. His soft laughter is warm against her shoulder, and for once, Manami feels that she's finally done something for him. "…Is it okay that I know, too?"

"More than okay," he slumped over and made himself comfortable on her lap. Karma ignored her surprised reprimand, his usual smirk back, and he turned so he was facing her stomach. Fighting was tiring, so Manami lets him lie there. "And besides… I now have you to bother too, so it's not so bad anymore."

Manami teased, "Ah, so my presence is convenient."

"But wanted." She jolted at that. Wanted? He… sure knew his words. Karma peeked up at her with a cheeky grin; he'd felt her surprise and Manami blushed with further embarrassment. "We wouldn't be hanging out if I genuinely didn't want you here. Hazama-san called me a half-assed  _chuunibyou_ , and by pretending not to want your company when we hang out is expending a lot of unnecessary energy trying to do things half-heartedly. There are some things that I can't half-ass no matter what, and that includes being with you."

"I guess…"

"Do you believe me?" She looked into his eyes; his stare is serious and all Manami could think of is  _when have I never?_  Karma smirks at her silence, he knows the truth and there is no need for words, and so he burrowed against her stomach. "Okuda-san," his words were muffled. "I think I take it back."

"Take what back?"

"When I said I didn't like labels," he paused for a moment. "They make things easier, considering the odds."

Manami giggled. "You mean to say practical, didn't you?"

"Probably, could be." Karma poked her side. "So ask me why I took it back."

"Why did you take it back?"

Karma shifted a little so he could look up at her and Manami stared right back, eyebrows raised questioningly. Crossing his arms on his stomach, he pursed his lips and grinned. "Because it would be  _beneficial_. Who knows, wouldn't it make me a hypocritical bastard when someday, I might pursue something I'd  _like_  to be labeled?"

Manami frowned at his words. Karma blinked when she tugged on his fringe—gently, but in a reprimanding manner. "I get your point, but please don't call yourself a bastard, Karma-kun. I-I don't like it."

Karma chortled. He seemed to look up at her in amazement. "Noted. No self-depreciating words. It would make me a hypocritical  _person_. Satisfied?" When she nods, Karma smiles fondly. "But you have to admit I  _was_  a dastardly guy."

"And?" Manami ruffled his hair the way he often did hers, and he actually swatted her away. Grinning along, Manami continues, "The Karma-kun that I enjoy being with is also the Karma-kun who used to do whatever he wanted no matter if he stepped on people. Had it not been for that Karma-kun's misdemeanors and development in the process, the current Karma-kun wouldn't be here."

"I still do whatever I want, do you forget?"

"Your argument is weak," Manami pinched his cheek. Karma narrowed his eyes at her, though it lacked heat. "You were almost cruel then, you know…"

"Don't forget arrogant. See where that got me," he scoffed, smirking nostalgically. "But how about now?"

Manami smiles. He is many things; "Considerate," is her favorite. "But Karma-kun also knows when push comes to shove, and that's what I like best. Thank you for not going easy on us when we needed it."

Karma stares at her for a few silent seconds, and Manami observed in utter fascination and amazement as he burrowed back into her stomach, glimpsing the furious blush that dusted his cheeks before it went out of sight. A futile effort; he was blushing to the ears.  _Ah, is he flattered?_  She asked this out loud.

"Duh," he grumbles and half-heartedly swats her hand away when she tugs on his ear. "So straightforward…  _honestly_."

"Did I win this one?"

He laughed at her, squeezing her around the waist, his reply muffled again: "Fair and square." Karma lets her go, and leans back. He's still looking a little bit flustered, but he was composed enough to look back up at her and smirk. "For all things considered, Okuda-san, you're the best friend I've ever had."

"Oh." Manami's cheeks burned. The amount of time it took for him to turn the tables on her was humbling. "But… what about Nagisa-kun?"

"What  _about_  Nagisa?"

"Well… he's already your best friend, isn't he? I'm honored, but… wouldn't that be unfair to him?"

"Okuda-san," Karma shook his head at her. "Who said best friends have to be singular? And who  _cares_  if I have two? They can fight me on that one, go right ahead! Besides, you have two best friends too, don't you?"

Touché. Manami giggled shyly at his victorious smirk. "Fine."

"Let's look at it like this: I can be your best boy friend, and you are my best girl friend. Fair enough?"

"Male and female friendships often carries with it a social stigma," Manami purses her lips, eyes gleaming. "Breaking that feels nice."

Karma hummed thoughtfully at her reply, closing his eyes and rearranging himself so he was face up again, "Not gonna fight me on that one? You liked that, huh?" Manami shrugged at him.

"I-I think it would be practical to accept it as it is."

"It would seem so…" he sleepily murmurs. "Then you don't mind staying here for a while?"

"Unless Karma-kun wants to go outside so badly already…"

"Yo, no need to be mean."  _I'm the mean one?_  Amused, Manami giggled, leaning back and crossing her ankles together. Karma breathes deeply, in and out, appearing to nap. It's in the silence that Manami finds herself thinking again, of three weeks ago and today.

" _I forgot to tell you that I have another reason." Then train comes whooshing to a stop in front of them, her messy hair agitated and helpless to the sudden movements and almost drowning out the sound of his voice. "Won't you ask me what it is?"_

 _What did you mean by one train ride away?_  The question had always been in her mind but always never made past her mouth. The moment never felt right whenever she tried. When Manami is with Karma, she is  _with_  Karma; in the moment, in the bustle and hustle of activity where there is never time to ponder about things she usually thinks about when she is at home. They went out so often that when they didn't, Manami would feel too restless to handle the chemicals and equipment she had at home. Sometimes that was bad; for Oku Tokyo's opening ceremony, new students had to submit a creation of their own that would one day benefit the people—Karma had even helped her with her anti-intoxication elixir concept, but her progress was no more than at 60%.

And the button. The button was still an anomaly. It sits there in an empty pill box on her desk. Did he give it to her to sew on to something? Highly unlikely; why go through all that trouble when he had Ninojiya-san, right? He could also do it himself, and… Karma did not give her anything to sew the button onto. And… she didn't really know how to sew.

After all this time, Karma still made little sense to her.

A circular mystery.

"Okuda-san," Manami looked back down. He had an arm across his eyes, but one eye was left uncovered, and it gazed at her with a strange intensity that Manami found familiar and also not. "Is it okay if I take a dive?"  _Softly toned, softly spoken?_

It's difficult not to speak in the same way. "Dive into what?"

"The next time we hang out," he paused to clear his throat. Karma looked almost nervous—no,  _is_  nervous. Manami did not want to get a head of herself, but Karma… is he nervous because of her? "If we could be like today again, like this, it'd be great."

Manami doesn't realize she's been messing with his hair until her fingers stop moving. Smile forming, she teased, "Karma-kun somehow makes it sound like he wants an actual date."

"Yes."

She paused entirely. That, she did not expect. Karma looks up expectantly as Manami stares down wide-eyed. "A-An actual date? But… why?"  _With me?_

"Let me rephrase," he says this as he sits up. Karma leans in closely, and against her will, her cheeks heat up and her shoulders are hunching as she curled within herself. She sees a twitch on his lips (smile?) when he sees her reaction to his proximity, and Manami is thrown off. She was not afraid of Karma, but she was confused and her thoughts were scattered and incredibly unhelpful.  _What? What?_  "Okuda-san, how do you feel about going out with me?"

Why was he asking her this? She'd already answered that earlier, didn't she? Why did it feel like he meant something else now, and what could it possibly be? Manami felt like she was back to square one; language complexities on a completely different level. "F-Fun! I enjoyed it…?" And she does! Had Karma doubted her? Is that's why he's asking again?

There's a pinched fold between his brows as Karma shook his head at her. His smile seemed wry and somehow she had the feeling that he was a twinge exasperated. At her?  _But, I understand that this one would take a while, and I can be patient._  Even if she remembered that, Manami still did not like the sinking feeling on her stomach, of nervously twiddling with her fingers and flinching when he flicks her forehead so she looked back up at him.

"I already know that, but don't you know what I  _really_  mean?"

Manami stares blankly, shifting uncomfortably. What could he actually mean? He sighs at her. "What I meant was… never mind. Not like this."

And Manami panics. She doesn't understand why, but she does. In the back of her head there's a tiny voice that berates her for feeling so silly over something she doesn't understand that she shoves away; at the moment, logic was not something she needed, and it was maddening to realize that, too. Didn't she say that she did not like analysis of human emotions and complicated play on words? Where did simplicity go and words started layering itself with nuances and niceties?

"Ask me."

Those ever familiar words stop all self-depreciating thoughts (between the two of them, who was the hypocrite again? Manami wilts, cringes). It was like a beacon in a muddy world, giving her a way out. Except, Karma is not giving her a chance to escape this. By asking, he was inadvertently pulling her further into a reality of less answers and more questions.

"What—what should I ask you?"

Karma's knuckle brushed her cheek. "Something I'd like to hear only from you."

 _How do you feel about going out with me?_  The thought startled her so abruptly that the words, "G-Go out with me?" tumbled off of her tongue, and Karma's slow, answering smile is layered with challenge, and also uncertainty.

"If you put it that way," Karma chuckles, smiles softly at her. "Of course I'd love to."

"But  _why?"_

Karma shrugged at her question. If his hand on her arm felt warm to the touch, she would have believed him to be indifferent. It wasn't; he wasn't.

"I thought that one's obvious."

Manami bit back a frustrated whimper, " _What_  is?"

"I gave you my second button didn't I?" His cheeks are red and he skewed her glasses on purpose.

"S-Second button?" The button he gave her?  _Now_ she's more confused. "But I don't understand why it's that important?"

Karma growls at her, but it is more out of flustered embarrassment; Manami is left stammering and as flushed as he was through her blurry visage.

The truth was this, "It means  _I like you_ , you oblivious girl! Don't you know the thing about second buttons?" he half-laughs, half-hisses, mushing her cheeks together. "And I swear you better damn realize I meant that in the most  _non-platonic_  sense."

 _Non-platonic sense_ meant… meant… Manami's cheeks flare again and she pushes against his hands that almost cradle her face but he does not let her go. Instead, Karma wounds her up in an embrace that left her face buried against his throat. Karma liked her. As in liked her- _liked her._ The kind of like Yukimura confessed she had for Nagisa, the kind of like that preceded another four-letter word.

Then, slowly, things that couldn't fit before started making sense. The constant phone calls, the outings— _dates_ , the meaningful stares. The carefully-worded sentences, a hand that always touched wherever it could, the way his guard falls around her without restraint.

"You  _like_ me?" Manami murmurs in wonderstruck disbelief, could hardly believe it. She's feeling numb but aware; his heart is beating as furiously as hers, and she feels it pound where her ear is pressed up against.

Karma sighs. "Too much."

" _Why?_ "

"Why do you feel the need to ask 'why' every time I say things?"

Manami sputters, defensively and eyes squinted, "I'm-I'm a scientist, it's my job to question things!" After all, nothing could go wrong in the scientific approach, and if something did happen, casualty is minimized and easily remedied. It's what kept Manami so closely tethered to rationality, and with Karma… He always found ways to throw her off-balance. "H-How do I confirm credibility if-if there is no analysis?"

"Some things like this can't be questioned and analyzed but left simply as  _is,_ but for you… Fine. I'll humor you," Karma pulls slightly back, smirking. He is challenging her.  _Karma-kun is challenging me?_ It can't be real. She was bound to lose for sure!  _But Karma-kun likes me._  And  _why_ does he like her? "Confirm it through nature and behavior. Analyze my behavior patterns and whatever else you see fit."

"Both are subject to change!"

"But they can still retain original aspects no matter how much they're subjected to external stimuli."

Manami gives in, hides her burning face into her shaking, clammy hands. "Karma-kun!"

"I like you, Okuda-san," she jumps when Karma whispers this into her ear, and she reels back, squeaking, and knows, knows,  _knows_ he meant that. Her vision is still blurry but she sees Karma the clearest, with his red cheeks and unguarded, uncertain eyes.  _Karma-kun likes me._ Her partner in crime, her third best friend. There is a niggling thought at the back of her mind that she can't understand through the whirl of events.  _Karma-kun likes me!_ "You want to know why? Well, you can't, because that's all there is to it.  _I like you_."

Karma peels her hands off of her face, gently despite her weakened resistance, cradling them in his hands and smiling at her at her the way he always did. Like he meant it. Like she was all he could see.

"And I was wondering if you could accept my confession, and make me yours."


End file.
